“Manufacturing and making goods are essential for a city to be self-sustained. We bring that to our community, it’s a way to give back to the place I live.” -Cisco Pinedo

As the eldest of 5 brothers, Cisco Pinedo was the driving force behind building the family legacy that is Cisco Brothers. What started as a small family furniture business has grown to a buzzing ecosystem of over 200 employees. One thing that hasn’t changed over the past 20 years is Cisco’s commitment to family. Not only are Cisco’s own family members an active part of Cisco Brothers, each piece of furniture supports countless other families in our community.

Meet Carmen, the matriarch of a family that touches Cisco furniture throughout every step of the manufacturing process. Carmen has soft smile lines revealing her kind spirit, but a no-nonsense demeanor. As the head seamstress, Carmen delegates work to 15 seamstresses under her. Everything that needs to be sewn, from pillows to sectionals, passes under her watchful eye. 19 years ago, a friend recommended her to Cisco in the early days of the company. Since then she’s become a vital manager and has gone on to watch two of her daughters and a son-in-law join the Cisco team.

Nestor is Carmen’s son-in-law, husband to her daughter and father to her grandchildren. As the head of packaging, Nestor is the final pair of eyes before a piece of furniture heads out for shipping. What started as a piece of fabric under Carmen and her team of seamstresses, has transformed into a sustainable and beautiful piece of furniture. Nestor checks each piece for quality with a close attention to detail.

Once the piece is thoroughly inspected and packaged, it moves on to shipping where Nestor’s wife Yesenia stores and plans pick-up. A bubbly woman who rubs her pregnant belly, Yesenia oversees nine employees as Cisco Brother’s shipping manager. This is Carmen’s eldest daughter, with a clear resemblance in her kind eyes.
She is the last one to see the couch, cushion, or ottoman before it enters its future home. Yesenia recounted the tale of marrying Nestor at Cisco, after a year of timid greetings before he finally made a romantic move. Over the years they started dating, married, and have built their lives together. Their 5-year-old son Matteo and baby-on-the-way are living testaments to their union. Yesenia was excited to see a Cisco fabric called Matteo after returning from her maternity leave five years ago.

Here at the end of the manufacturing journey, she sees the products her family has helped create. From her mother’s early production sewing, to her husband’s careful checks, when Yesenia organizes shipment she takes pride in knowing one family’s new piece of furniture was a product of her family’s craftsmanship. Sometimes sales representatives will send her reviews and notes from customers, “and I am proud that my family got to participate in making it.”

Along this journey, one more family member takes part. Yesenia's younger sister and the newest one to join the Cisco team, Melissa, serves as a customer service representative. Like the rest of her family, Melissa has grown quickly at Cisco, moving from reception to customer service in just two short years. She is the go-between for customers, in-store representatives, and production, Melissa’s social ability and calm personality allow her to create bridges between our craftsmanship and your home. As she shared, “I love knowing we are one family working within the bigger Cisco family."

Everyone in Carmen’s family appreciates the boundaries and joys of working with family, they each have a job to do and expertise in their unique sectors. At the same time, each one of Camen’s daughters smiles when talking about working at the same place as their family. Carmen radiates a sense of pride in her work and in her family. As Yesenia affirmed, “My mom is so proud of us.” From Carmen’s family to the Cisco family we will continue sewing, handcrafting, and creating furniture that is as healthy for the planet as it is for our community.